Guns N’ Roses kicked off their Not in This Lifetime tour at Ford Field in Detroit Thursday (June 23), giving more than 40,000 GN’R fans a sight they thought they would never see again: original members Slash, Axl Rose and Duff McKagan sharing the stage.

The band’s set was powerful, dynamic and plentiful. The guys played two and a half hours, kicking things off a few minutes early -- a surprise for many -- around 9:45 p.m. and concluding around 12:15 a.m.

After seeing Guns N’ Roses’ metallic, high-octane live show in the flesh, buoyed by epic songs such as “November Rain” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” it’s easy to see why they’re considered one of the most influential rockers of the ‘80s and early ‘90s. Slash spit out towering guitar solos that were magical, almost superhuman. Rose’s voice was in top form, as he showed off a pristine, sparkly upper register. Rose was on his feet, too, instead confined to a chair as he was for a while after breaking his foot during a Guns N’ Roses show in April.

Gibson guitars are at the forefront of this tour. Slash, of course, is a longtime Les Paul guy. He performed on his many Appetite Les Pauls for most of the show. Richard Fortus, who is serving as the band’s second guitarist on this tour, also played on Gibsons throughout the set. View exclusive photos in this feature.